


"I Love You" is the New "Hello"

by toxicPatronus



Series: The Way You Said "I Love You" [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: M/M, airport reunions, although it's never explicitly stated, implied!iwaoi, iwa would be screaming at them both if he were here, makki is gay af and doesn't realize it, makki just doesn't know it yet, mattsun's been in love with makki for years, oikawa is the love guru (questionable), seriously if you're here for iwaoi you'll be disappointed
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-26
Updated: 2015-11-26
Packaged: 2018-05-03 10:49:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5287841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toxicPatronus/pseuds/toxicPatronus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>2 months into Matsukawa's absence, when the skype calls started to become more and more infrequent, Hanamaki began to notice that he was getting sick. His stomach would feel weird, like it did whenever he was at the top of a rollercoaster. His fingers would get sweaty, his face would turn red, and his heart felt like it was going to break out of his chest sometimes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"I Love You" is the New "Hello"

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it's certainly been a while since I've posted anything!! I've been really off about my writing lately, and I've been really busy because of school, but it was really nice to get back into things!
> 
> This was written kind of quickly, but I really liked the prompt that it was for. This is going to be for a collection of fics for the "The Way You Said 'I Love You'" prompt.
> 
> This is prompt 1: As a hello.
> 
> This fic is un-beta'd, because I'm impatient, so please let me know if you see any mistakes! Thanks for reading, hope you enjoy it! <3

Hanamaki hated airports.

They were always jam-packed, teeming with people in a rush to get to their flight, or to get out of the large crowd. They were always loud, too. Large crowds of people tended to lead to a lot of chatter and noise, and it grated on Hanamaki's nerves.

Hanamaki thought that nothing would make him happier than to never set foot in an airport again.

Today was an exception though. Matsukawa had been studying abroad in America, apparently there was a really good psychology program in New York, and he wanted to go. Hanamaki had been supportive, of course. Matsukawa was his best friend, and he wanted him to go after what he wanted.

He hadn't accounted for the loneliness, or for how much he would miss his friend.

They skyped all the time, of course. Matsukawa would get back from his class in the evenings, and Hanamaki would wake up in the mornings, and they would spend an hour or so chatting whenever they had a free moment.

Hanamaki found that the skype calls only served to increase the longing in his heart.

They had been good friends for a while, playing on the same volleyball teams in junior high and high school. Anyone who saw the two on court together knew that they worked well together, and they could see it in their daily lives as well. If Hanamaki believed in soul mates, he would probably say that Matsukawa was his, although it was only recently that he started to feel more of a... _romantic_ attachment to his friend.

2 months into Matsukawa's absence, when the skype calls started to become more and more infrequent, Hanamaki began to notice that he was getting sick. His stomach would feel weird, like it did whenever he was at the top of a rollercoaster. His fingers would get sweaty, his face would turn red, and his heart felt like it was going to break out of his chest sometimes.

It was only 3 months later, once he mentioned it to Oikawa, that he realized what was going on.

_They had decided to meet up in a cafe for lunch, in order to catch up on all that they had missed. As Hanamaki described what had been going on, Oikawa's smile had grown wider, and he soon abandoned his food in favor of resting his chin on his hands._

"Oh Makki, you're not sick, you're growing up!" Oikawa had let out a dramatic sniffle and wiped away a fake tear from his eye. A couple sitting near them glanced over to see what was going on, and when the two friends paid them no attention, they merely shrugged and turned their focus back to their own table.

Hanamaki had stared blankly at him, confused and more than a little annoyed. "What do you mean, 'growing up'?"

"You're in love, Makki! With Mattsun!" he squealed delightedly, and Hanamaki felt his blood run cold.

He stared down at his hands resting on the table, studying them intently.

"I'm... In love with Matsukawa?" He asked, voice getting smaller.

"Yep~" Oikawa said with a smile that covered his entire face.

In love? With Matsukawa? How could he possibly be in love with his best friend? Matsukawa had been there for him through everything, they'd practically grown up together. And he had been there for Matsukawa in return. Back when Matsukawa was shorter than him, and skinny like a twig, and Hanamaki had stood up for him against anyone who dared to pick on him. They'd been inseparable, and he couldn't imagine his life without his friend by his side.

But did that mean that he was in love with him?

Hanamaki lifted his head up, training his gaze on Oikawa once more.

"How is that possible, Oikawa? He's my best friend, I'm not supposed to be in love with him."

Oikawa had looked out the window before looking back at him with a wistful glint in his eye, thoughts drifting back to someone else. "Isn't it best to fall in love with our best friends? After all, they do know us the best." he had said.

It had been a month since his conversation with Oikawa, and Hanamaki had been doing a lot of thinking. He noticed that the funny feeling in his chest only came about when he saw or thought about Matsukawa, and he caught himself staring at pictures of the two of them on his phone more often than he would care to admit.

All of that thinking had led him to this moment, standing in the airport, searching for Matsukawa. He was waiting close to his friend's gate, close enough to see him but far enough away so that he wouldn't disrupt the flow of traffic.

When he finally spotted the familiar head of black curls, he felt his breath _whoosh_ out of him, and he was left with a dumbstruck expression on his face. He quickly regained his senses as Matsukawa walked among the throng of people, and Hanamaki started grinning as he waved his arm, beckoning his friend over.

When Matsukawa finally broke free of the crowd, Hanamaki decided he couldn't wait anymore, and he started walking over to meet him sooner, eager to have those extra few moments with him. Matsukawa noticed him coming towards him, and he picked up his pace ever so slightly. They met in the middle as both men raised their arms up to wrap around the other, and Hanamaki buried his face in his friend's shoulder, breathing him in after so long of being apart.

Hanamaki pulled his face away and stared up at his friend with a smile on his face, studying his features and taking everything in. In that moment, he felt at peace, as if he had been the one to return home. He finally understood what Oikawa had meant, and he laughed to himself as he realized that his friend had been right.

"I love you, Issei."

Matsukawa smiled warmly at the words, and he held onto his friend just a little bit tighter. "Hello to you too, Takahiro. I'm home."

"Welcome home."


End file.
